Thousands of people and members of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country’s largest Muslim mass organization, attended on Monday the funeral of Salahuddin “Gus Sholah” Wahid in Jombang, East Java, to bid farewell to the renowned Muslim figure.

People gathered at the Tebuireng Islamic boarding school in Jombang hours before the funeral proceeded at around 2 p.m. led by Gus Sholah’s sons Ipang Wahid and Iqbal Billy.

Aside from the thousands of people, several national figures were seen at the Tebuireng school compound, including Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD, who himself is an NU member, Muhammadiyah chairman Haedar Nashir, East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa and Muslim cleric Mustofa Bisri.

Gus Sholah passed away on Sunday evening. He was 77 years old and is survived by his wife and three children.

The youngest brother of the country’s fourth president, Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, Gus Sholah died at 8:55 p.m. in Jakarta on Sunday, confirmed NU education head Hanif Saha.

“We received the news that he passed away […] at Harapan Kita Hospital,” Hanif said on Sunday as quoted by kompas.com, referring to the national cardiology center.

Hanif said Gus Sholah's health had deteriorated after he underwent heart surgery on Saturday.

“He was in recovery, but his health kept deteriorating,” he said.

Ipang said that his father had started complaining about his heart two weeks ago and that his condition had become critical on Sunday afternoon.

Gus Sholah subsequently underwent a cardiac ablation to restore a normal heart rhythm, Ipang said.

Born on Sept. 11, 1942, in Jombang, the son of late NU leader Wahid Hasyim was also a prominent NU cleric and the director of Tebuireng until his death. Just like his late elder brother, Gus Sholah was known as a staunch and lifelong advocate of human rights.

"The big Nahdlatul Ulama family sends its condolences over the passing of KH Shalahuddin Wahid," the organization posted to its Twitter account, @nahdlatululama.

The NU central board instructed NU members via Twitter, including those overseas, to conduct shalat ghaib (prayer for the deceased) for Gus Sholah.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo joined other leading figures in expressing his condolences over Gus Sholah's passing.

“On behalf of the government, the country and the people of Indonesia, I send my deepest condolences over the passing of Salahuddin Wahid,” Jokowi said after paying his respects at Gus Sholah's residence in Mampang, South Jakarta.

The President said the country had lost a great Muslim scholar whose numerous contributions to advocating for human rights had had a significant impact on religious tolerance.

“He was a great Muslim scholar; truly a role model for us all. The people of the nation feel a great loss with his passing," he added.

NU chairman Said Aqil Siradj described Gus Sholah as a pious man with a positive personality.

“Gus Sholah was very modest. He did not live a glamorous or luxurious life,” Said recalled on Sunday.

He added that the progress at the Tebuireng Islamic boarding school in could not be separated from Gus Sholah, who was a director at the school and had focused on how to develop it.

The school was founded by his grandfather, Hasyim Asy’ari.

“All of his struggle and thoughts were for Tebuireng, not for himself.” (rfa)

— Asip Hasani contributed to this story

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